Virginia getaway

We traveled to Virginia Beach area this past weekend to see our good friends Taylor and Meg and to meet their sweet baby boy, Colton.  

These two hit it off and were quite the little buds.  This is the sweetest most content baby.  We hauled him all over creation and he never made a peep.

We were so blessed to have a girls morning out to our favorite.  Panera and pedi's.  It was so fun and so relaxing and so great to get to do those two things in person, together.  This girl is amazing and I am so thankful that distance only strengthens our friendship.  We both always feel so refreshed after time spent together, and I am so blessed by you, Meg!

I love this man, and I am so thankful to travel and see the world with him!

Oh how we love the Smithson family!  Bro. Stu was the children's pastor at Lavaca and Matt grew up with him.  God recently called them to leave Lavaca and continue their ministry in Virginia.  We sure miss them, but God is using them in mighty ways to reach a boat load of families (no pun intended).  We are so thankful for their friendship and the call on their lives.  This is one precious family!

We did a lot of this.  It was so much fun!  Eating is my fav.

Thanks so much Meg and Tay and baby  C for your generosity this weekend.  Your friendship is a blessing to us and we thank God for the closeness that even distance can not break!  Love you guys!!

Low Key Kind of Week.

This week has been a pretty low key week for us. We returned Monday from Virginia and celebrated the Mr. And his b-day with the girls. Then Alyssa and I went on a run!  

She's a mess. She loves to run with momma, and I love having her as my partner. 

Just one of my all time fav meals. Chicken Alfredo. I love carbs. It's real, folks. 

Bless it. She sure has it rough. 

Yep, I let my child hang out of the sunroof at parent pick up. So any of you who saw a kid hanging out the top of a car...it was mine. She's only little once and next year I will be picking HER up in that line so I'm living it up with her. If you see her on the hood of the car... don't think anything it of it. #livinginthemoment

Now this is a car wash. They had my car washed before I went through the tunnel. Please and thank you.

Pretty sure I freaked them out and almost ran over a worker. Drive and neutral are  NOT the same thing. In case you wondered. The end.  Moving on. 

My kids. They do NOt have the same idea of clean as I do. My little Alyssa she sure is a hoarder.  Everything is special to her and has a purpose in her room.  I love that she savors the smallest things and that she values what she has.  It sure blessed my heart to find this little gift in the middle of her chaotic closet. 

She's precious and I find these little notes all the time. I pray she learns to clean up a little better, but that she will never stop writing us these sweet notes. 

Oh my hubs. He's so good to me. He knows the way to my heart. I know some girls hate getting flowers, but I love nothing more than having fresh flowers in my house. He loves to bless me and he did just that today. 

It's been a good week. Low key and relaxing. Just what the Ward's needed. 

Weekend Bliss

A couple weekends ago we (Matt and I) enjoyed a couple days to ourselves while the  girls were having a blast with their aunt and uncle(s).

Let me just say, our girls are blessed with amazing aunts and uncles.  They are loved beyond words and Matt and I could not be more grateful for the Godliness they pour in to our little ones. 

So while the girls are away...we like to play. So we made a weekend of Hogs sports. We love our Hogs. 

The girls got to go to the naturals stadium (uncle Matt works there) and take batting practice and go in the sound booth. They had a blast. 

We enjoyed baseball for two days and a basketball game in the middle. So fun. 

Daddy and his girls before church. Be still my heart. Thankful they have a daddy who loves them and pours Christ in their lives. He is such an example of selflessness and strength and the girls adore him. 

Saturday night in the living room...

Saturday night Matt and I were doing our nightly devotional with the girls.  We were talking about the story of Abraham and Sarah and how God promised He would bless their family and give them a child, and that He would use their family to rescue the world.  Though this seemed unimaginable in their eyes, Abraham and Sarah chose to trust what God had said, more than what their eyes could see.  How could God use our family for His rescue plan when we don't even have a child?  Plus, we are 90 years old.  Waaayyyyyy past our baby making days, but God said it, so we believe it.  

We asked the girls questions about faith and trust and reminded them that God will call us to things that may seem crazy to you and others, but you have to trust in His call and have faith that He will see you through whatever he puts in front of you.  Just like Abraham, we have to choose faith over what we can visually see.  Most of the time, God only shows us our next step, but beyond that step may be a lot of uncertainty.  That's when we cling to Him and His word to guide and secure our walk.   

It made me think about How often we miss what God has for us out of fear?  Fear that we're not quite knowledgeable enough.  Or maybe we see our sin greater than His grace and don't think we are worthy enough for God to use.  

We fear that He will not see us through.  He will allow us to fail.  

How can we not trust?  How can I look at what the Savior of the World did for me and still lack trust that He will see me through the minutes and hours of my days?  The days that HE has written for my life.  The days that HE has ordained... and He can't supply all my needs? 

Alyssa began to share about conversations she has had at school and what others have said and say about Christ.  She was so passionate about her Faith in Christ and had solid knowledge to back up her stand.  She told Matt and I that some had told her that "Christ is not real.  He did not create the world.  All of this just appeared.  How can you believe in something you have never seen."  

Alyssa said:

 " I always tell them, how can you believe that all of this just appeared?"

 " A tree does not have the power to just appear.  You don't see the wind, but you believe it is real and you feel it."

" I don't see Jesus but I see what he has created and I feel him living in me."  

"I believe the Bible and I trust the truth that is in it."

"I mean, the Bible is like a library of truth.  Anything you could possibly need is in it, you just have to read it."

Mind you she is 7 and I do not recall a single conversation I had where I had to defend my faith at the ripe age of 7.  But I am so proud of the Faith that she has.  The belief that God will use her and that he will supply all that she needs to do whatever it is He has for her.  

As she was sharing with us Matt and I just looked at each other in utter thankfulness of her heart and what the Lord is doing in her life.

(Keeping it Real Moment: all this took place while Bella was crying because she didn't want to talk about Jesus and she wanted to play a family game. Real life is always messy and sweet, and they can co-exist)

Parenting is HARD stuff y'all!!!  There have been way too many times lately that I have doubted that anything we are teaching our girls is sticking in their little minds and that they could probably use some new parents because we just were not cutting it.  

But, God in a way only He can, showed up in to our living room on a Saturday evening and He lavished us with grace and assurance that His word never returns void.  Yes, it is our job to teach and pour His truth in to their little lives, but He holds their hearts and their future and their lives in the palm of His hand and nothing can snatch them away from Him.  

I have been challenged this weekend to live fearlessly and in total abandonment to the call that God has on my life, and on our life as a family.  I have also been reminded that our time with Him, whether alone, with family, or corporately always leaves us/me encouraged and refreshed.  

Allow your children to share with you their thoughts about Christ and what He is doing in their lives.  It might just be that the Lord wants to speak to you through your child and give you a word of truth that challenges you to a closer more sold out life to Him.

He can do anything in us and through us.  Allow Him.
 
"Be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged.  For the LORD your God is with you wherever you go."
Joshua 1:9