Dedication of Our New Home

Almost 4 years ago we were pregnant with Ashton and put our condo on the market. A long 2 years after that with a little boy over a year old, we moved out ready to close on a sale and buy a house we had a contract on. All of you know that the sale fell through and we dealt with a great deal of frustration and tears and questions to God as to why. Everyone had advice for us and we struggled to decide if we should rent the condo, fight legally what was going on in our complex, or move back. God spoke very clearly to Wes and me both through David Platt and his book Radical that we wanted to go against what our culture would think was pursuing happiness in trying to do everything we could to get our house. God wanted us to move back with our little family and not only that but wanted to add another child to our small home as we found out we were pregnant with Collin at the same time. We did not know why or how, but we chose to follow Him. We admit now that we feel we could have done more over the past 2 years for our neighbors here and although we were able to help in a few cases, we still feel like we could have done more, but we definitely learned about what it means to truly live in plenty which we feel like we do here in the states. We recognized how grateful we should be for this place and every single small blessing God has given to us which we do not deserve. After almost two more years of waiting for this place to sell and taking it on and off the market and lowering the price, we began to ask God if He wanted us to use the money we had for a house for a different purpose. We felt he may be leading us to adopt another child and we told Him we would and that we would live here with three children if that was His will. We took the month of June to seriously pray about this. At the beginning of July, we found out I was pregnant. We don't know why God closed the door for us to adopt but we decided to try to find a house again and asked our condo association if we could rent our place and they granted us permission. We quickly found a house we fell in love with and prayed for a renter which He faithfully brought and today we close on our house almost 4 years later and with three young boys. It is a very emotional day for us and we want to publically say that it is by nothing we have done that God has granted us this opportunity but all we have is from Him and we dedicate our new home to His glory and ask that we could use it for His purposes.  

Through the years, God has brought me time and time again to the passage where he tells David that he is not to build the temple at this time and to wait for His son Solomon to build it. David's response was not anger, but this praise which has also been my prayer even though I admit there were MANY times and tears on my long commute I found it difficult to have this attitude.

" Who am I O Lord, and what is my family, that You have brought me this far? And as if this were not enough in Your sight, O God, You have spoke about the future of the house of Your servant. You have looked on me as though I were the most exalted of men, O Lord God…And now, Lord, let the promise You have made concerning Your servant and his house be established forever. Do as You promised, so that it will be established that Your name will be great forever. Then men will say, ‘The Lord Almighty, the God over Israel, is Israel’s God!” And the house of Your servant David will be established before You. You, my God, have revealed to Your servant that You will build a house for him.” 1 Chronicles 17:18-25

And today my prayers is this- in dedication of our home- which is taken from the passage after David and his people have brought all the materials to build the temple before the Lord,

“But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this? Everything comes from You, and we have given You only what comes from Your hand…O Lord our God, as for all this abundance that we have provided for building You a temple for Your Holy Name, it comes from Your hand, and all of it belongs to You…O Lord, God of our fathers…keep this desire in the hearts of Your people forever, and keep [our] hearts loyal to You. And give [our sons] the wholehearted devotion to keep your commands…” 1 Chronicles 29:14-19

Disney Day 1!

Disneyworld Day #1!!! It's been a month and I am just now blogging about our Disney trip because I knew it would take some time. We had a blast!! We went with Wes' band since they were marching in the Magic Kingdom parade and my parents drove down with the boys and me to help and have fun! I could never have done it without them since Wes had a lot of resposibility with the band. It was CRAZY taking a one and three year old and one with allergies who couldn't eat most park food and who is still not fully potty trained. Plus, I was pregnant and it was so HOT! we weren't expecting it to still be in the 90's but at least the weather was beautiful every day and the park was decorated for fall to make us think it was autumn weather. haha Here's a mickey pumpkin to start with.

 Our first ride was the teacups and Ashton LOVED them! I was thrilled because I wasn't quite sure how he would take everything but he and I had really studied all the rides together online and we had been talking about the trip for months so he was psyched...although he wasn't quite sure what he was psyched about! He and my dad had fun spinning while the rest of us got off feeling tipsy. Thankfully my nausea was completely gone since the week before. What a blessing becuase I could not have done this trip 2 weeks earlier. This boy brought me the worst nausea for about 17 weeks but  now I am feeling the best I have felt with any of them so I can't complain!

 Next we rode Dumbo which Ashton didn't really care for too much. The height scared him a little. Collin's expression was how we felt. Sweaty and HOT!

 My mom will be upset for putting this one online but I love it! She and Collin are having fun while waiting in line for the Pooh ride. They had some great stuff for the kids to do and this is a "honey wall" that Collin loved. He loves anything you can touch!

 Collin fell in love with a stuffed Pooh in the gift shop afterwards so we had to get it. Ashton got a Roo.

 Our first character shot was with Pluto! Someone had given me a heads up to buy an autograph book so we had fun getting the characters' signatures too. Ashton loved Pluto and the line for him wasn't too long!

 Meeting Mickey and Minnie was a highlight. They are inside a building and are there all day long so you only have to wait about 5 minutes! Ashton was a little shy at first but so excited. I love how shy he looks in this one. But they took so much time with him that he warmed up and at the end was blowing them kisses!

 He really liked Minnie too. He told me her bow was really pretty and I think he has a crush on her ever since.

We loved watching all the parades. The boys loved the music and floats! Disney really does seem magical when you watch it through their eyes!!