The January Update

Ann Voskamp wrote for {in}courage today. I cried. Because it was so beautiful. If you have the time read it all here. If not chew on this.....

I remember when you were small enough to hold in my arms, warm against me, this sun bathed stone, us engraved into rock here. I hadn’t known how fast the wings would come and that you would fly into the dark, into the sun, and so soon. That when you became a man, I’d feel so empty – and so very fulfilled. I wish we had read even more books. And I had said yes to every game of Scrabble.

Time totally flies. It seems like I just unpacked from the whirlwind of Christmas. But really we are wrapping up January. Things around here are beautifully busy with things like this.....

Miller is receiving services from Early Intervention every other Wednesday afternoon. We are learning ways to help create situations to encourage language. Not too fast he is extremely frustrated these days. It is frustrating to me. Our time together is so precious just a few hours a day and we spend most of having fits.

Noah is growing and growing. He counted to 100 and is sounding out words. He is drawing the cutest little dinosaur figures. I have never seen cuter stegosourouses.

I have an intern and that is going well. It is always great to have company in facing the trials and heartbreaks and triumphs in the classroom.

I am co leading Bible Study on Wednesday nights. We are doing Beth Moore's Mercy Triumphs: James. It is AMAZING. I highly recommend reading or downloading some of the lessons. This week, session three was some the best teaching I have heard. About joy and anguish in coexistent. Anguish turning to joy. It has really been amazing to me. Several years ago in another Beth Moore study the phrase "Choose Joy" became a big mantra for me. Joy is a choice. And in the midst of all things you can find joy.

Adam is enjoying his new job at the University. And we are enjoying all the extra time together.

I am trying to make good on my 2012 goal of doing a better job being more social. I went to a preschool mom's dinner this week and then also met up with some of my dearest and oldest friends from Homewood. We had a blast laughing and sharing about life and our kids. I always dreamed about doing that exact thing when we were just girls. I loved every minute.

We have had some active weather. Which makes us Tuscaloosians a little jumpy. We need to really get our safe place in shape. It is going to be a long spring.

We have moved around a bunch of furniture and added painted bookshelves to create a playroom out of our dining room.

I am just walking around in an exhausted state of happiness. I look at our loud sweet family and our bust beautiful life and I am humbled by his love and blessings.