Random Thoughts and Updates

Last weekend, we attended Eagle Brook's Blaine Campus for its Grand Opening. It was so inspiring to be a part of something so new, yet so planned for. This campus has been in the works for two years, and Brandon and I feel blessed to have been a part of it financially, through prayer, my short-term staff stint, etc. While we have yet to decide if we are going to stay at SLP or actually attend Blaine, it was still fun to be a part of the debut weekend.

It was during that service that Brandon and I heard the sermon about "locking the exit door." The two of us have agreed---the exit door to our marriage does not exist. Instead, we have made the decision that no matter what, we will fight for our family. This doesn't mean we aren't realistic about the fact that marriage can be difficult, boring, and insane at different times. It doesn't mean that we won't face times on our journey where we feel like giving up. But, it does means that we are committed to bettering ourselves, which in return increases the success of our marriage. We want our boys to learn how to love others by seeing how we love each other. This involves overlooking each other's faults at time, and most important, it means that biblical teachings and truth will drive how we run our family. I could go on, but Bob Merritt says it so much better---click here to listen to last week's sermon:)

This week also brought about some one-on-one time with my youngest mischief-maker. Because of different nap times and bed times, I am able to squeeze in some quality time with Griffin more frequently. But last night, it was all about Mommy and Grayson time while Daddy took Griffin to swimming. I kid you not, we read books for almost 40 minutes. And by books, I mean two books over and OVER again. I tried suggesting different ones, but Grayson is quite convinced that Super Hero Alphabet and Super Hero Friends are the two best books around. We read them so often that even Griffin has them memorized! Nonetheless, I thoroughly enjoyed some snuggle time with just my 18 month old pride and joy. Plus, he even learned a new phrase...he can now say "bad guy!"

Finally, I wanted to take some time to give a shout out to Brandon. The start of the school year is always stressful, and I tend to become kind of hard to live with when I deal with the stress of a new year. Throw in my classes at Bethel and the extra time I am spending with my student teacher, and you have yourself one bundle of joy for a wife. Or not. Brandon has really stepped up to the plate and gone above and beyond the call of duty as a husband and father...the kicker is that he doesn't complain. I am blessed with a husband who finds joy in serving his wife and kids. And if he doesn't find joy, he fakes it:)

Ahhh. Life is good!