Grace Abounding

Hello my few but wonderful readers!

I cannot believe how long it has been since I wrote. I keep feeling this nagging when I get on the computer; "Write! You know you want to!" And it's true - I do want to - I just somehow haven't found the time in a month and a half. Ugh! Not okay. Hopefully this will remedy my absence well and help me start to become more consistent in posting about the amazing life God has given me.

Ferry-ing to Orcas Island for a wedding

What can I say but that God has blessed our little family abundantly since I last updated you. My family of three has become four - Owen is going to be a big brother! My due date is April 30th but I'm hoping for a little girl on May Day. It would just fit in so well with our family (since Owen is a Fourth of July baby). Nick and I are going to find out the gender this time around just to make preparations a little easier. We loved waiting last time but I do want to know if we need to buy some pink accessories or just hang on to what we already have from Owen. We have both of the names picked out so when we come back from our ultrasound we'll know exactly who we'll be meeting in a few short months. If you want to know the names, ask me personally.

God has given me a wonderful first trimester yet again. I am tired, but not as much as last time. My appetite is a bit smaller but I don't feel sick. Honestly, I forget I'm pregnant most of the time because I'm so busy with Owen. It's nice to have something else to focus on - it'll make this waiting period go all the faster! I am so excited to meet this next little person. It's so amazing to me that though he or she only has webbed fingers right now, in just a few months they will be a whole person. It's so much different the second time around.

Additionally, God has blessed Nick's and my community group immensely in the last month. The summer was a hard season for us because we were extremely busy and our community group was inconsistent and small. We felt attacked multiple times over the summer and became discouraged. We began to question if we really were supposed to be doing this. But of course we are... God just wanted to work on us first. A month ago, we had four new families visit in ONE week! In one night, our group went from four to twelve. And the most amazing thing to me is that all of our group members are jumping in with two feet and want to get involved and serve immediately! I cannot believe what God was waiting to give to us. Each member of our community group has been a huge blessing to both Nick and I and I am SO excited to see where He leads us in this next season!

One of the most fun things ever just happened a couple of weeks ago. My best friend Melissa and her husband moved into our apartment complex. Not only that, but Mel's husband Justin got a job where Nick works so they have been able to carpool to work and encourage each other in their careers! It has been so much fun already having our dearest friends live so close but I cannot WAIT until their baby arrives! Mel is due in November so we are getting very close!

Gosh, now that I'm thinking about everything else that has happened since I last wrote I think I need to just list a few things off...

• I finished my first wedding season as a photographer. I learned a ton, grew in my skills and am very excited with the results of this summer. I cannot wait to give it another go next year! 
• We went to a lake cabin for the weekend with some friends. Thankfully the three of us were able to get away when summer finally showed up in August! It was a great couple of days filled with relaxing in the water. There was no internet, cable or cell phone service so we really had to depend on each other for entertainment!
• I started my own Mary Kay business. If you are interested in learning more about the company, purchasing our skin care products or hosting a Mary Kay party (and earning free product!!!), please don't hesitate to contact me!
• Nick and I celebrated our 2-year wedding anniversary on September 19th. We went out to dinner and afterward ate the top of our wedding cake. Yes, the cake actually tasted good! I guess four layers of saran wrap actually can preserve frosting for that long! We will also be celebrating our anniversary with a trip to Las Vegas next week. I am so excited!!!

All in all, I am completely amazed at God's grace upon our family. Our little boy is healthy, growing and charming as ever, Nick's and my marriage is growing and maturing as we learn more about Jesus and each other, I see God's miracles surround me as I hear stories about His grace to others and I am just peaceful. My heart is happy. The love of Christ fills me like no other thing in this world. There is SO much to be thankful for that if I listed off everything when praying at the end of the evening I would never go to sleep.

He makes my world a little brighter

So thank you, Jesus. Thank you for being better than the best earthly thing. Thank you for Your grace that covers me, my sins, my family, my community and this world. Thank you for never changing. Thank you for listening to my feeble attempts at praising You when I can never truly praise You to the extent that You deserve. Thank you for loving me more than I could ever possibly love You. 

Thank you.