Springing into SPRING :D

Yay! It actually feels like spring in Erie this year! Last year, it was still snowing with tons of snow on the ground. This year, it's in the 70's! I could get used to this!

We have spent most of our days outside. It's been amazing! Here are some quick pics to show you what we've been up to:

Madilyn and Daddy at the Erie Zoo!

Playing baseball in the backyard! Madilyn is a terrific pitcher! :)

And this, my dear friends, is the sweetest thing I've ever seen. Madilyn and Daddy reading the Bible together. I love her hand on her cheek, too. My precious family :D

We walked to the closest Redbox, which is about .8 miles from our home. We all went...including the dogs, and Madilyn was in paradise! She loves holding the leash! Then, we came home and popped popcorn on the stove and watched our movie together! So MUCH fun!

We went BACK to the zoo, our second summer home! Madilyn got to ride her favorite horse, the dark brown one, and we even saw some friends there from B & N Storytime! The little boy behind her's name is Cameron, and he's a sweetie. He's kinda small, but they had fun!

Oh. My. Goodness.

Today was such a crazy day. In fact, this week has been just downright crazy. CRAZY!!!
Sunday, while leaving church, I went to open Madilyn's car door and the handle went "pop." Now, it's broken. Who breaks their car door handle? THIS GIRL DOES.
Tuesday morning, we noticed that part of our ceiling in the dining room was bubbling and falling off...we scraped the paint off the ceiling, not knowing why it was bubbling because we don't have any pipes in that part of our home. Turns out, Madilyn's humidifier had slowly emptied the whole gallon of water down her bookshelf and soaked through the upstairs wood floors...hence making it's way to the dining room ceiling. And, I had to throw away about 30 of Madilyn's favorite books. They were soaked and beyond repair.
Cue Wednesday. We had MOPS today. I definitely look forward to our MOPS time, but I was running late. I was a little cranky trying to get out the door. I turned on worship music in the car. Madilyn, being the little sweetie that she is, said, "Mommy, they're talking about Jesus." I said, "Yes, honey. They are. We worship Jesus. Jesus lives inside Mommy and Daddy's hearts, but He doesn't live in your heart because you haven't asked him yet. It's like inviting a friend over to play. They want to come to your house, but you have to invite them in." Right on target, Madilyn says, "Dear Jesus. Please come to my house and play. Please live in my heart forever. Amen." PRECIOUS! I actually remember asking Jesus into my heart when I was 3, and I remember it being the day that I wanted to serve Him and I've stuck with it. So, I'm not doubting that a 3-year old could comprehend a decision like that. I know she meant it. It will take time for her to figure out the rest of the story, but for today, Madilyn knows what she knows about Jesus, and she wants Him in HER heart :) Melt my heart. Absolutely the best decision ever.
Then, after we arrived at MOPS, I dropped Madilyn off at her class and went to sit down and enjoy my breakfast with all the wonderful ladies of my table. I was super hungry and couldn't wait to eat the yummy potluck. Ooops, I saw that I missed Cameron's phone call. He had gone to the Dr. today to get his blood pressure checked after a month of dieting and exercising. I hoped to hear good news.
I called Cameron, and he said, "My blood pressure is still high. He wants to put me on a different blood pressure medication." Okay, I can handle that. Then, "And, I've been having irregular heart rhythms, so he wants me to get an EKG this morning before I go to class at noon, and my Jeep died at Dr. Peterson's office, so I can't get to the hospital." Oh. My. Goodness.
So, I left MOPS after 10 minutes. Poor Madilyn. She just wanted to stay at church, but somehow it just seemed right to me to have her with me. I was seriously freaking out. I just want Cameron to be healthy, and I just want us to make it through med school with a Jeep that works. I just wanted to eat breakfast and have a few quiet moments with the girls. Ugh. I cried. I cried for like probably 2 hours. I cried my eyes out.
We waited for the mechanic to tow the Jeep, and then we drove to the hospital to wait while Cameron had his EKG. Madilyn and I checked out the vending machines since I'd skipped breakfast and it was almost lunch. Madilyn told the muslim lady in the waiting room, "We sing for Jesus. Jesus loves us. We learn about Jesus at my church." Bold faith. Unashamed. I know why Jesus said we should all have the faith of a child. Amazing.
Turns out, Cameron's heart rhythms checked out great at the very moment they were monitored. If he continues to have irregularity, they will most likely attach a 24-hour heart monitor to his ankle so they can record what it going on. We are believing that he is healed, whole and well. He will take his new blood pressure meds in hopes that this will bring down his blood pressure, and he will continue to diet and exercise.
Dear Lord, help me to rely on YOU for peace when all else is shaken. I'm exhausted from today, but I'm very very thankful. Health and family are more important than material things. I don't know what's wrong with the Jeep, and right now I don't care. I'm so happy my sweet Cameron is okay. These are precious moments, folks.

What We've Been Up To...

Lately, our lives have been filled with lots of fun things. We've made new friends and been generally busy, for the most part.

This month at the Home Depot Kids workshop, Madilyn built a racecar! She sure is getting good with wood glue, hammers, screwdrivers and goggles. Look out!
We have been attending Barnes and Noble storytime once a week. I love it because it feels like "adult time," being in that it's located inside B & N, but also Madilyn loves it, too! The same lady reads 3 books each week to the group of kids and caregivers, and then she brings them fresh sugar cookies from the coffee shop. Yummy! Madilyn's favorite thing to do when storytime is over is to get the step stools gathered up, grab 20 stuffed animals (that are for sale) and play house with them. She uses the step stools as props for her scenarios. Pretty cute :)

We have some new friends! Their names are Bryan and Kaley Auton, and they have three precious kiddos: Bryley, Bracen and Baptist. The Auton's are such a sweet family, and we seem to have a lot in common with them. They even moved here from Atlanta about 2 months after we moved to Erie! The only crazy thing is this: THEY ARE MOVING BACK TO GEORGIA IN A MONTH! We are trying to not feel heartbroken about this. I mean, afterall, we couldn't ask them to stay in Erie until we move (although I have thought about asking them a few times--haha!). Madilyn and Bryley have so much fun playing together!Here they are being secret agent spy princesses!
Oh, and guess what!!! Our zoo is open again! We survived the winter and the dreaded zoo closing...so all peace and order is restored in our home. We went to the zoo this week, and it was SUPER DUPER COLD! I'm pretty sure the windchill was in the 20's, which breaks my rule of only being outside if the windchill is above 32, but ya know...desperate times call for desperate measures. Cameron even got to go to the zoo with us this week!
All in all, things are great. We are seeing God's faithfulness on a day by day, moment by moment basis. "Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with the things you have. For He Himself has said, 'I will never leave you nor forsake you." Hebrews 13:5

Grown-Up Lights

We have two light settings in our living room. Either the huge ceiling fan that has 5 light bulbs in it, and it feels like the actual sun itself is shining in your face (great for playing with toys on a gloomy day) or we have two small lamps on our coffee tables (great for relaxing once the toys are put away). We call the former "Kid Lights" and the latter "Grown-Up Lights." After Madilyn is in bed, Cameron and I will often sit down together in the living room to chat and watch tv, and I say, "Let's turn on the Grown-Up Lights," so Cameron will reach back and hit the light switch off. Immediate relaxtion. Immediate calming environment. Immediate peace.
Not everything about being a grown-up is so great, however. Being in this season of life, friends are moving in and moving out and it's hard to get connected and make relationships. It's tough realizing the grown-up things...like you can't always buy ice cream. 1. You'll gain weight. 2. You can't always afford it. Paying bills is not that much fun. Your body aging comes with aches and pains. There are more wrinkles popping up on my face and more grey hairs poking through the brown. Grown-up things.
Friends are not always easy to come by. And, true friends are precious gems.
Today, I spent the entire morning on the phone with friends that live across the country. Why? I needed to talk to someone that knows me. I needed friends that I didn't have to explain myself to. Friends that know that I can complain for a minute and still be thankful and know I blessed. Friends that have seen my better days and can direct my heart back to what I know (and they know) is so true in life. That God is faithful. That His mercies are new every morning. That really Cameron and Madilyn are all I need right now.
Being a grown-up is great...but some aspects are better than others. Preaching to the choir right? I know. But, today was a rough day.