I've had the desire to blog lately but not the revelation.... I find myself avoiding laundry, taking advantage of little moments with Elle, driving the girls back and forth to school, catching up on emails, thinking about what I need for the new little one's arrival, cooking dinner, cleaning up after dinner...functioning.
There are some activities that transcend "functioning", namely our prayer times. I love our prayer times every night. Those are such sweet times together as a whole family. No matter how chaotic the day (or the 30min. just before) has been, our prayer time always ushers in such a powerful blanket of peace over the house. Each night looks different, but each night is special.
Things are still going well with our added family members. Brandon is very much so entering into adolescence. He's a smart kid. He's also a special boy - he has a special place in Gavin's heart, but it's still a challenge. Each of the children are special, in their own way, and we're so thankful to be a part of their lives.
I'm trying to balance raising our girls with the high standards we've always had for them and at the same time ease the other children into knowing what to expect. We have to have the same standards for all the children - there is no other option, but we do expect it to be a process...
We're finishing our second month together and all the children are doing wonderfully. It's not easy, but it is worth it. Brandon is a typical big brother - picking on all the girls (especially Rae - she seems to attract this kind of attention...apple having not fallen far from tree...). Raegan and Kaira play great together and are great buds. Reece and Gia are two peas in a pod. They get along beautifully and are also great friends. Elle loves Justice and tries to take great care of him.....tries being the optimal word there.... She also loves playing with all the big kids. There is no way to convince this one she's only two...(in a few weeks).
Athena, their mom, is tired, but doing well. She longs for this to all be over. Please pray for her.
(All the children are in bed by 8:00, at the latest, and "adult time" begins:)) Our evenings are spent either catching up on TiVo, laughing together (we have lots of laughter in our home), praying together, counseling each other, making treats once the children have all gone to bed - a kid's worst nightmare!!, but all of it is just living life together.
I want to paint a realistic picture. I hope I have. Bottom line is that we need prayer for wisdom and insight, peace, and health. But, living in community is something Gavin and I have been designed for and we can't imagine life looking any different. We covet your thoughts and prayers. We love you, dear friends.
2 comments:
enjoyed reading into your lives. my goodness. your life is so full.
i appreciate how patient your words were in this post. you are real with yourself and i know that that lends you some peace amongst the fullness of your moments within your home.
you are never far from my thoughts. know that you are doing an amazing job and that I admire you. your heart is so big and so full.
33 weeks prego! wow! can't wait!
I miss you all, my dear community. Thank you for allowing me to be an extension of our family to the world. I feel honored to be a representative of what we hold in high esteem in our home around the world and to people who are still determining what their homes will look like.
Love to you all. I can't wait to rejoin the rest of my body.
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