First Haircut and More

I took Will for his 1st haircut today. I've been putting it off and thinking that we could wait a little longer, but Jay finally declared that he was developing a mullet and we had to do something about it! So off to Jellybeans for the 1 penny haircut.

At first it wasn't so bad....

but after he realized what was going on.....well, it wasn't pretty. The last half of the haircut involved me holding him and us turning side to side for her to finish. Amazingly it seems to be straight!

Here's a cute pic of Catherine in her Halloween costume. This was at her friend Lucy's dress-up birthday party yesterday. The kids will be with Jay's parents for Halloween and are excited about trick-or-treating with them.

And one more for fun....like father, like daughter....Jay and Catherine enjoying an after-dinner treat :) They're supposed to be eating jello, but apparently they both really like the whip cream better.

1/2 Marathon

Jay and I completed our 1/2 Marathon today in Greenville. This was a goal of mine for the entire year, something to inspire me to get back into shape after 2 babies. We had a great run today and even met our time goal. We had hoped to complete it in 2 hours and we finished in 1 hour 59 minutes! (That's only 2 minutes slower than when I did one before I was pregnant with Catherine.)

I don't have any pictures to post, but I just wanted to share. Also, many thanks to my family for keeping Catherine and Will last night and today. It was a huge help!

Pumpkin Patch

This afternoon we went to the Pumpkin Patch at MiniMiracles Farm. The kids had a great time. Jay and I had a great time with Catherine and Will, but the farm itself was a little less than we were expecting. But hey, we enjoyed a beautiful afternoon together, so it was worth it!

The majority of the trip was spent on the hayride. Catherine was so excited when she saw the tractor and wanted to go, so we did. Well, 45 minutes later we had learned all the stories you ever want to know about each and every animal on the farm--mostly goats. Again, not quite what we were expecting, but it Jay and I got a good laugh from it. We really only spent about 15 mins looking at the pumpkins, which we don't think they even grow there. (I hope this whole thing hasn't sounded too negative! We had a great time just being outside the 4 of us.) So here are a few pics from our "adventure":

The Truth #20

Truth #20 from Lies Women Believe is that It is impossible to be godly without suffering. Suffering is an essential tool God uses to conform us to the image of Jesus. Our sanctification takes place as we embrace suffering. We cannot expect to grow more and more like Christ without suffering.

Jeremiah 48:11 provides a historical example for us in Moab. "Moab has been at rest from youth, like wine left on its dregs, not poured from one jar to another. She has not gone into exile. So she tastes as she did, and her aroma is unchaged." This may seem a little random, but I think it's relevant. Moab had a history of ease and comfort, what we all think we desire. As a result, she was unchanged. But we all need to be changed! And suffering is one of God's many tools to bring about change in our hearts.

1 Peter 5:10 "And the God of grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast." The suffering will not last forever. God will use it for good in your life, no matter how painful it seems at the time. And He promises that he will restore you. Isn't that what we all want? To be fully restored in God's sight.

The Truth #19

Truth #19 from Lies Women Believe is God is more concerned about changing me and glorifying Himself than about solving my problems. If we don't recognize God's purposes and processes in our lives, we will become obsessed with finding a way out of our problems. The truth is, God does not exist to solve our problems. What matters most to Him is that every created being reflect His glory and is conformed to His image. Some of the problems that are most difficult for us are actually instruments He has designed to fulfill His ultimate purpose in our lives. How foolish and shortsighted it is to reject or resist problems that may be the very means He has designed to mold us into the image of His Son.

Romans 8:28 "and we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of His Son."

Keeping this kind of eternal perspective--of looking at how our daily problems affect our souls, not just our immediate comfort and happiness, is very difficult to remember. But God reassures us that our troubles here are preparing us for a glory we cannot imagine. "Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary but what us unseen is eternal." 2 Corinithians 4: 16-18

Sky Top Apple Orchard

We enjoyed the morning at Sky Top Apple Orchard in Hendersonville today. Catherine loved picking the apples and they both enjoyed eating them. It was a beautiful fall day to enjoy being outside together as a family.

 

 

 

 

Happy Birthday Baby Will!

Today, Will celebrated his 1st birthday! He was born October 1, 2007 around 9pm, weighing in at 8lbs 8oz and 20.25 inches long. We were so excited to finally meet this little baby and to know that he was a boy. I cannot describe what that moment felt like when Jay looked at me and said, "it's a boy". Will is the first boy in my family in 57 years. He's a special little man.

I thought I'd post a few pictures to remember this day from last year:

A very proud mommy and daddy about 15 mins after he was born.

Look at that sweet little bundle of joy.

Will was a much bigger baby than I was expecting after my previous 6 lbs 3 oz, 19 inch Catherine. That's a lot of baby to have been scrunched up inside! No wonder I was uncomfortable.

Catherine met her baby brother for the first time the following day. She instantly looked like she had grown and matured. But looking back on it, she was still just a baby too. She was very sweet and loved Will from the beginning. He's lucky to have such a great big sister.

I love remembering both of my children's true "birth" days. There's just an undescribable joy that becomes a permanent part of who you are in that moment. God has been so good to us.

So Happy Birthday baby Will! (and yes, I'm still calling him baby Will. I don't know when I'll give it up.)