What do you do when it's a rainy day and the guys and Blake all go to Frontier City with the youth group? You catch up on your bloggin' and make pumpkin waffles for brunch with your toddler.
Of course, summer has been great. It's not that I'm not thankful for all of the things it has given us, especially last Saturday. I had my first piano recital with my first piano students. Somewhere my piano teachers must be cosmically connected in their uproarious laughter at the thought of me teaching piano--not for my lack of ability, but for my obvious distaste for practicing piano. My high school choir teacher is also probably joining in the joke at the remembrance of me telling her I "never want to teach music" when she asked what I was interested in doing with my music degree. I know, I know. The irony is almost too much to take.
It started with me really wanting the guys to try music. Even if they hated it, I could live with it, as long as they tried. Though I have met people who don't have much musical talent, I don't think I have ever met anyone who has said they hate music. Everyone has some kind of music that resonates with them, even if it would drive me crazy (example: Rihanna. One Direction. Iggy Azalea. Etc.). So many people have found healing through music, and I thought maybe having even a little bit of an understanding of it would be good for them. The recital was a way for them to proudly show off what they had learned--on their part, however, it was mostly them doing something that was important to me.
All of my students did so well at the recital. They make it look like I taught them a lot, but mostly they are brilliant. Most of the time when I sat down to teach, they blew through whatever I was going to go over at that lesson in the first ten minutes, and the next twenty was me trying to figure out who is going to have to replace me when they outlearn my teaching abilities. And all of them, even when they messed up, performed so well. They held it together perfectly, as if no mistakes were made. Ugh, I am oozing pride and I can't stop. Sorry, not sorry.
As awesome as my piano students are, and as awesome as the guys are, the truth is none of this amazing day or my life full of happiness would hold together without Blake. He takes my lofty dreams and my bleeding heart and helps me translate these things into real-life, attainable goals. Every day I am blown away by how great of a dad he is. Most dads our age (and some older ones) constantly have terror and uncertainty in their eyes, but not Blake. His faith and trust in Christ, and his devotion to Adeline, to our guys, and to our marriage, and his unsurpassable work ethic make him solid as a rock. Several times a day I just stare at him and think, "this man is just too good to be true." And he is. And he's mine. And I'm bragging because I am giddy at how much I don't deserve him.
So, as I stand here on my good-life mountain, I look back at the valleys that were and wonder at the valleys to come. I wonder at the "hows" of what God will do, but have no "ifs" in my mind. I don't wonder "if" God will keep coming through, but I wonder how He will keep doing it. This has been a difficult season for many Christians who look at what is happening in our broken world and wonder how to sort through it all, but I hope and pray you will find yourself in a place soon where you have a perfect view of the hope we have in Christ, despite the bruises and scars that happen along the way. From here, I have the courage to face the valleys in anticipation of God's faithfulness rather than fear of the trials that lead through it, and I am thankful.
Our family portraits were done by Hannah Melson Photography, to help raise money for a family in our church who is adopting a little girl. You can learn about other ways to support this sweet family here.
Yes, you read that right, pumpkin waffles. And before you roll your eyes at my impatience for fall, be honest and ask how I'm supposed to help myself when it's all rainy like it is today, and school is starting in nine days. It's like fall is calling to me and running to me with arms open wide. Yes. Bring it in, fall. You're awesome.
All of my students did so well at the recital. They make it look like I taught them a lot, but mostly they are brilliant. Most of the time when I sat down to teach, they blew through whatever I was going to go over at that lesson in the first ten minutes, and the next twenty was me trying to figure out who is going to have to replace me when they outlearn my teaching abilities. And all of them, even when they messed up, performed so well. They held it together perfectly, as if no mistakes were made. Ugh, I am oozing pride and I can't stop. Sorry, not sorry.
These four guys have had a great, great summer. I'm so proud of them. They make our job easy.
I love this picture because I told everyone to pretend that the person closest to them has just said something hilarious. And Adeline was so not in on the joke.
After participating in a recital mostly out of the kindness in their hearts, the guys also hung out in the humid Oklahoma heat for almost an hour taking family pictures, which was also at least 93% for me. They didn't complain even one time. Not even with their eyes. Saturday felt like a day where all my family and friends just filled my love tank full, with no complaints and no hesitation. I can't express how much this meant to me, and how happy I am to have photographic evidence of this day.
I'm really glad that Blake isn't too cool to do stuff like this with me.
My favorite thing about this picture is how skinny my arm looks. I wish I had like, a "before" arm picture and "after" from last summer to this summer.
I happened to find Adeline's precious little romper on sale at Target. I'm so glad we took these pictures with her in it because I think it's only going to fit her for about three days. Homegirl is growing like crazy.
She only managed to get a few knicks out of the apple, but it was pretty cute for picture taking. <3
I can't say that this awesome Saturday had absolutely no interest for the boys--they also knew that when all was said and done there were ribs waiting for them at home. Pinterest gave me another winner, y'all. That recipe is the bomb.
So, as I stand here on my good-life mountain, I look back at the valleys that were and wonder at the valleys to come. I wonder at the "hows" of what God will do, but have no "ifs" in my mind. I don't wonder "if" God will keep coming through, but I wonder how He will keep doing it. This has been a difficult season for many Christians who look at what is happening in our broken world and wonder how to sort through it all, but I hope and pray you will find yourself in a place soon where you have a perfect view of the hope we have in Christ, despite the bruises and scars that happen along the way. From here, I have the courage to face the valleys in anticipation of God's faithfulness rather than fear of the trials that lead through it, and I am thankful.
Our family portraits were done by Hannah Melson Photography, to help raise money for a family in our church who is adopting a little girl. You can learn about other ways to support this sweet family here.
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