Its been awhile since I last posted (whats new, right Aaron?) so I thought I would give a brief overview of whats been going on here since moving to Topeka and in with the in laws...
*house is still for sale...we may forever have this vacation home in Bolivar Missouri. :)
*Maddie is loving school. She has made lots of new friends and apparently already has a few boys crushing on her...Seriously? Thats crazy to me...she's in kindergarten!!! Needless to say, Daddy was less than thrilled to hear that from her teacher :)
*Zemma is also doing well and hasn't even seemed to notice that she is going on her fourth home in the past 6 months. She is busy busy busy, never stops moving or talking and I seem to be the only one who can translate most of it. Her happy little resilient self flirts around from thing to thing and I just sit back (well not really
sit) and am amazed at the Lords faithfulness in her and our lives. She is absorbing language and skills by the truckload each day, and hers and Maddies relationship is really starting to grow as well. I love to see them play together, learn together, and yes - I even enoy the fighting between sisters (some of the time).
*And now on to (big sigh)...Lukey...My dear sweet husband who is truly struggling in this new job of his. He is exhausted as he is pouring everything he has into a very demanding school district.
And - basketball season is right around the corner... So pray for him as he adds his season into an already full day. Pray that he would be able to see God's hand - and not only to see it, but to actually feel himself being upheld by it. We know that the Lord has us in Topeka, we know that it was a part of His plan for our lives. I am praying that Luke would find joy in trusting in that plan and not focusing on the difficult circumstances that come with it. And also that God would be glorified there at Topeka West -because of a man, emptied of self and filled with Christ. We would love it if you all would join us in praying too!
* As for me...I feel like the Lord is teaching me a lot. Life in Bolivar was always so comfortable for us. We had our friends, our home, our church. Now that he has taken me out of that life, I can feel Him calling me to find new ways to serve Him - ways that might not always be so comfortable. I'm not completely sure what that means yet, but I'm excited (and scared) to find out! My prayer lately is simply that I would be intentional about everything that I do. That I would seek Christ in every situation - even if I'm just going to Target (which, by the way I am loving my new proximity to :). Anyways...we can all feel the Lord stretching us here in our new home (basement), sometimes its painful and sometimes its scary but we trust in the Lord and what he has for us here in Topeka Kansas.
I have thought often about where we were last year - waiting, without her. I can remember the feelings of incompleteness- as if something or someone were missing - especially during the holiday season. I would wish and dream of a sibling for Maddie - someone to share in the excitement and fun with. I would long for the craziness and volume of a big family - kids yelling and even fighting! And, I would pray for that child, who I knew was somewhere out there even though it felt as if we would never meet.
