John.

He is coming home tomorrow after being gone for a whole week! When I think about my friends who have husbands in the military I feel like such a wimp! But, I did NOT sign up for a husband that would be gone for long periods of time! (God knew, I just didn't at the time!) Anyways. I am totally excited. It's so funny/awesome. I feel such excitement in the depths of my being when he comes home! Like the feeling I had when I went to visit him 3 weeks after I met him and I sat in his driveway with my lights turned off for about 20 minutes because I was so excited/nervous/freaking out that I felt like my legs wouldn't work if I tried to walk on them! That's the feeling. I lost it for a while. Thank You JESUS it's back!

We are heading to Austin, TX for one of his best friends from high school's wedding. Guess who is going with us?! NO ONE! We are going, alone. With no children. For a long weekend. Can I get an AMEN?!?!?!!! John keeps calling it our "Second Honeymoon" because Eli was conceived a mere 6 months after we were married! So, we didn't have a very long "honeymoon" phase of our marriage! I'll stop before I divulge TMI!

We are still living with John's parents, Susan and Ramon (we call him Ramie) and his little brother, Daniel (16) and little sister, Jocelyn (almost 14). Yes, it is so hard that we only have 2 rooms that are "ours" that have our stuff in it. I have been going to our storage unit often lately because I have lost about 15 LBS in the last few months so I am retrieving old clothes (hallelujah!). I found all my dishes yesterday and I was a little choked up! How silly am I?!?!!! So ridiculous. I know. But there is just something about getting married and starting a family that makes a woman desire, need, want to have her own home to make it for her family. I wonder if God put that in us on purpose?!??!!! I miss washing my Fiestaware dishes! Oh I just love them! They are so fun and colorful and...you would LOVE them. Maybe one day when I have my own house again you can come to dinner! Yep, YOU! Whoever you are! I long for the days of having friends over for dinner and celebrating birthdays with them and...oh goodness!

I am thankful we have a roof over our head and we are fed and healthy! And Noah is walking. Yep, he is only 11 months old. He's been walking for about 2 weeks now. He definitely still crawls, but every day he crawls less and less! He gets so darn excited when he walks to! He is already trying to run. I am certain it is to keep up with Eli. Who is a grown up boy. Seriously. He looked at me the other night when I asked him to come to me so I could change his diaper and put his pj's on him. He looked at me, square in the face and said, "Oh whatever Mom. Oh just whatever." As clear as day! My jaw literally fell open and I said, "Excuse me? What did you just say?" And THEN, THEN he said it under his breath as he looked away from me rolling his eyes!!!!!!!!!! I about died! It is SO hard in those parenting moments not to just start cracking up so hard you shed a tear or two! Oh I just love him! He is totally giving me a run for the money though. He just wants to see if I am serious. Oh, and serious I am! I love my boys.

John is coming home tomorrow for a whole week and he leaves next Monday to go out for another 4 weeks :/ We won't talk about that right now! My mountain man is coming home! WOOHOO!

Joy is something that is a choice, every day!




Joy in spite of circumstances.



Joy deep, down, in the depths of your heart. I choose joy! Look at all I have to be joyful about!



It is definitely not something that I do all the time, in fact, I am in a season of really meditating on choosing to have joy in my heart. Joy from the Lord. Because He is always the same. And for that I am thankful.