Welcome Lucy Ann!

Our friends Matt and Erin welcomed Lucy Ann into their family yesterday. Congratulations!

For those of you who are keeping track, that is two babies born to our friends in the past week. And we're waiting on two more, who are due to arrive any day! Was there something in the water in February? We're starting to think so...

Clearly, I'm so excited about these little ones that I can't resist posting about them. Praise the Lord for healthy babies!

Free Sin Boldly Audio Download

Bloggy book giveaway participants -

Still working your way through Sin Boldly? Here is a way that might help you finish:

Download the audio book for free!

That's right, just head here and download the file to your computer. Then you can listen to it while you go about your day.

Personally, I'm a HUGE audio book fan. I often have them on while I drive, fold laundry, cook dinner, and clean the house. I love having something going on in the background while I make my way through otherwise mundane tasks.

And for those of you who aren't participating but are still interested in Sin Boldly, here is a way to enjoy it - for free!

Welcome Rina Marie!

Our friends Bryan and Erika welcomed a baby girl into their life yesterday! Congratulations! We're so happy for you guys!

She is perfect.

And I love that her name means "a shout/exclamation of joy" in Hebrew.

Bloggy Giveaway - Deadline Extended!

For those of you who are participating in the bloggy book giveaway, you may remember that tomorrow (Thursday, October 30) is the deadline for posting your review.

But for me, October passed by in a complete blur.

Anyone with me? I have a feeling I'm not alone here.

For this reason, just in case any of your are a little behind on your reading, I'm going to extend the deadline by one week. That's right! To qualify for the prizes, please post your review (and tell me you've done it) by:

Thursday, November 6th

I'll announce prize winners on Friday, November 7th.

A Prayer for the Here and Now

I was spending some time praying last night, and reading through a favorite little prayer book when I came across this portion:

When the way seems dark before me,
give me grace to walk trustingly.

When much is obscure to me,
let me be all the more faithful to the little that I can clearly see.

When the distant scene is clouded,
let me rejoice that at least the next step is plain.

When what Thou art is most hidden from my eyes,
let me still hold fast to what Thou dost command.

When insight falters,
let obedience stand firm.

What I lack in faith let me repay in love.

This is my prayer.

The future is so uncertain for us right now, and these words struck me in a way that was both comforting and challenging. I was reminded that what is important now is to be faithful with what I have been given and what I do know, trusting that God will direct my steps in His timing.

Git 'R Dun Day

I'm home. It feels incredible.

Not that I haven't enjoyed my ping-pong trip around the Midwest these past couple of weeks! I spent time with family in Chicago this past weekend, enjoyed excellent Indian food with Jenni and Sarah in Grand Rapids last week, witnessed an incredible array of colors on my drive, and even road-tripped it with Jamie for a couple of days.

Oh, and worked. A lot!

But my favorite part of the trip? Coming home and spending time with my boys. We had a completely lazy night together. Josh even had a pot of spaghetti sauce brewing for me when I returned. We watched TV, took Riley out, and went to bed on time. I didn't check email, barely touched the dishes, and still have a half-full suitcase upstairs that is waiting to be unpacked.

Which reminds me...

There is a lot that I've neglected lately - from laundry to eating right to certain sewing projects to blogging (have you noticed?). I also have a stack of bills to pay, belated birthday cards to mail, and emails to answer.

Let me just tell you - I can't WAIT to dig in and put my life back together. And as a result, today is my official "Git R Dun" day. Josh is out of town tonight, and instead of dwell on our lack of time together I'm going to use the opportunity to be very, very productive.

I may not change out of pajamas, but I'll put a bunch of other pieces to my life back in place.

Here we go.

When You're in Memphis...

...you have to do two things:

1. Eat authentic Memphis barbecue at a hole-in-the-wall restaurant.

2. Go to Graceland.

Check.


and Check.

Well, kind of. Graceland actually costs $27 (at the cheapest rate) so we checked out the gift shops, took pictures at the entrance, and peeped over fences at Elvis' famed mansion. And paid $8 to park. But it was worth it.

I've had a trip to Tennessee planned for work for months now, and when Jamie found that out she was immediately intrigued by the idea of a ROAD TRIP after her visit to Bloomington. It has been great to have her along for the ride, and I'll be sad to take off from Nashville without her tomorrow!