Family is so grand!

Jeremy and I are so blessed to have such wonderful families. And JohnDavid is so blessed to have so many that love him! 

Today's post is nothing but photos from our fun day with family! 

The best uncle Mike ever! I'm so proud of my little brother! 

JohnDavid LOVED uncle Mike's truck!

We celebrated 50¢ corn dogs from Sonic today with Granny! JohnDavid thoroughly enjoyed vacuuming and mopping at her house as well as her fenced in yard! 

Waiting (im)patiently on the "buggy" to be fixed! 

Telling pawpaw what the buggy says! 

Laughing at the best Uncle Leamon!

And running from the best uncle Ernie!

My handyman is so sexy! 😉

Finally, a quick buggy ride before bedtime in his new big boy bed! 

I swear it seems like he just got here and now he runs and argues back in his own language and so many other things. I wish they didn't grow so fast! 

As The Deer

I found myself humming "As The Deer" while holding and rocking my sleeping "baby" a little longer tonight. I'm reminded how much I want to be that thirsty for God. I've realized how swiftly life passes in the last 16 months. JohnDavid has literally grown up before my eyes and it seems to have happened over night. Yet, it seems he's always been here and I don't remember life before him nor do I remember much of his "baby" days. I find these truths of life to be bittersweet. My failing memory is so frustrating. JohnDavid is very much a toddler these days. He still needs and wants me a lot but it sure isn't as much as those early days. He used to cling to the comfort of my breast and now he clings to my face with those tiny hands or my neck with those arms wrapped so tightly. He used to smell like a baby (moms, you know what I mean) and now he smells like a boy when he's been outside or the taco he just ate. He loves to be close to my face when he's falling asleep but he loves his space, independence and prefers to walk rather than being carried. He does still like for us to be in eyesight but soon enough that will change! Even his beloved pacifier, affectionately known as Susi, gets pushed to the wayside sometimes. I long to soak up so much about him that I feel I forget it all. I never want to forget what it feels like to hold him this close. I never want to forget that tiny neck hug or the Eskimo kisses on that precious nose. I'm overjoyed that God chose me to be his mother. I love this little big boy so much more than I ever thought possible, so much more than I could ever explain...but there's Someone who loves him more. Jesus loves JohnDavid much more than I ever could or will. I'm reminded of how much I should cling to Jesus like JohnDavid does to me, and I'm also reminded how much Jesus loves me in the same way He loves JohnDavid. Pondering God and His love is so amazing and it indeed does make me "panteth" for Him.

🎶As the deer panteth for the water
So my soul longeth after thee
You alone are my hearts desire
And I long to worship thee

You alone are my strength my shield
To You alone may my spirit yield
You alone are my hearts desire
And I long to worship thee

You're my friend and You are my brother,
Even though you are a king.
I love you more thank any other,
So much more than anything.

I want You more than gold or silver,
Only You can satisfy.
You alone are the real joy Giver,
And the apple of my eye.🎶

Marvelous Monday

Hey Hey Hey!

It's Monday already again! I used to dread Monday's when I worked outside of the home, but now that I don't, I look forward to Monday's for a couple of reasons (although, I miss my hubby and I miss hanging with our family that works!):

1) We get the bed all to ourselves after 6am, not that I don't LOVE it when all three of us are in the bed, but who doesn't love more room?? ;) Jeremy probably isn't buying my answer.

2) I'm reminded how blessed I am to stay at home every Monday...I don't have to drop my baby off or clock in anywhere or tend to anyone but JohnDavid and I love that. I listened to a podcast this morning and a specific part spoke to me about parenting. God doesn't call us to save our children or make them godly because we cannot do that; only He can save, but he does call us to be godly parents. That's my goal. What's yours?

We had a great weekend! Jeremy works 4 10 hour days and he's off every Friday! As much as I really liked him getting home at 4 every day, I do enjoy having him the whole day of Friday. (when he's not fishing!) ;) We spent this past Friday at Gulfarium in Ft. Walton, Florida. It wasn't as good as Gulf World in Panama City Beach, but we had a great time and that's all that counts! We enjoyed a kid-free weekend after that as JohnDavid stayed the night with Jeremy's parents Friday and my parents Saturday/Saturday night. We rode four wheelers until the wee hours of the morning like teenagers and loved every minute of it. Saturday we rode down to the beach with some good friends to celebrate a birthday! The beach was gorgeous except for the jellyfish stings! We enjoyed food, fellowship, and fun games including frisbee and arcade games at Dave and Busters. Sunday was a wonderful day of worship at Providence Baptist Church followed by a delicious lunch with the Sullivan clan.

Today, JohnDavid and I have been on the road. We have ran more than enough errands and he was such a trooper so we stopped at the park in Daleville to burn some energy! I noticed this afternoon his ear was draining...which means an ear infection since he has tubes already and they are draining out. This explains why he's not eaten much of anything in two days. Poor fella. Please pray the antibiotics work quickly and that he feels better soon! He's currently napping and I'm about to tackle some budgeting and decluttering. Hope your weekend was wonderful!

Sponges

“So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation— if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.” 1 Peter 2:1-3 ESV 

JohnDavid is such a sponge these days. He's learning something new every day it seems. It may be a new animal sound or a new type of truck or even a new word, but he is watching us closely and he is learning. I'm thankful for these days of teaching and learning although he takes after his mother in the sense that most of the time he's too stubborn to be taught; he wants to figure it out on his and do it by himself. Looking at JohnDavid, I'm reminded of the above passage in 1 Peter that tells us Christians to long for the pure milk of God's Word so that we may grow. Since removing ourselves from Facebook, we've been hungry for time in the Word alone and time together in the Word. I told Jeremy just this morning that I was enjoying the fruits from being in the Word so much this week. What about you? What are you hungry for? Do you long to spend more time with the One who created you? To quote John MacArthur on this passage: "We can't grow as Christians unless sin is renounced. When the purging takes place, then the Word does its work. Spiritual growth is always marked by a craving for and a delight in God's Word with the intensity with which a baby craves milk. A Christian develops a desire for the truth of God's word by remembering his life's source, eliminating sin from his life, admitting his need for God's truth, pursuing spiritual growth, and surveying his blessings." 

"Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who trusts in Him!" Psalm 34:8

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