Thankful.

Today I am thankful for God's faithfulness. No matter the circumstances, He is there. But especially today I am thankful for the year He has brought our family through. And even in the midst of so many unknowns, He has shown unfailing love, redemption, and kindness.

Connor Update

This post will probably bore you to tears. I'm not offended. I just want to document Connor's progress.

Connor has been in speech therapy for 3 weeks. He's 26 months old. Expressively, he's like an 11-month-old. Receptively, he's like an 18-month-old.

Although he is only independently speaking about 3 words, he is beginning to imitate. Yesterday, November 9, 2011, he imitated 24 sounds/words! The therapist was blown away and I was absolutely thrilled! Because of his ability to now imitate sounds and some signs, his frustration at not being able to communicate has lessened tremendously. He is also starting to babble slightly during play.

Of course, I am ready for him to initiate speaking on his own. However, the therapist has reassured me imitating is a necessary first step and it's a big deal he is doing this so quickly. She is also thrilled that there is so much inflection in his voice and that he shows lots of emotion.

ooooo (blue)

uh

oh (no)

uh-oh

ball

Daddy

Momma

roll

two

puh

ess (yes)

eese (please)

whoo whoo (choo choo)

mmmm (more)

eee

puh (pull)

ck (yuck)

ssss

tttt

ah du (all done)

eee uh (clean up)

wow

whoa

The Mitchells

Nathan and I have been leading a Bible Study for engaged couples and newlyweds for about six months. 3 weeks ago, one of the couples and two of our dearest friends, Bethany and Benji, got married. I got the huge honor of being one of the bridesmaids.

Bethany was absolutely stunning. The wedding was gorgeous. And I did my best to not stick out as the only bridesmaid in her thirties. None of the girls said "yes ma'am" so I considered that a success. I also made sure to not mention Crock Pots or vacuuming or WMHK. I said things like "Yo, the Cupid Shuffle rocks" and "So, how many hours are you taking this semester?"

The Great Wolf Lodge

A few weeks ago, Nathan and I took the kids to the Great Wolf Lodge in Charlotte, NC for the weekend. Now, I say "weekend" because we were there for almost 2 full days but only spent one night. In my opinion, the rooms per night seemed quite pricey but after seeking advice from some friends, we learned that you can use the indoor waterpark almost all day the day you check in and until it closes on the day you check out. So spending only one evening still gave us 2 full days in the waterpark. And that's my little tidbit of wisdom for the day. You're welcome.

Using our gifts.

Today my mind is on gifts.

As women, it's easy to compare ourselves to others. To what others have. To what others can do. To how others look.

I wish I could sew like her.

I wish I could sing like her.

I wish I were as smart as she.

I wish my house looked like hers.

I wish I was funny like her.

I wish my body looked more like hers.

I wish the inside of my car looked like hers and didn't have dried french fries and socks and paperwork falling out of it (oh, is it just me?)

It's a dangerous place to live. Comparing ourselves to others. Especially when God says we are remarkably and wonderfully made. And we should know that full well! God has gifted us all in different ways. And during different seasons of life, we may experience different gifts. Instead of comparing ourselves to others, let's cling to His promises and steward well what we've been gifted.

Here are a few tangible examples.

Heather is crafty. And so full of peace. She can sew. She can smock. She can take a $2 find from a yard sale and turn it into a gem. So she started a craft club. Once a month she is inviting several friends over for a peace-filled craft night and is using her gifts to bless others.

Sally's gift is listening. And facilitating discussion. So she does that as a literacy coach in her full-time job but she also blesses others with her geniune, sincere listening personality in her all interactions. Every time I have dinner with her, I leave with a new nugget of wisdom on how to be a stronger, more intentional listener.

What are your gifts? You have them. And they aren't the same as your friends or your neighbors. How can you use your gifts to bless others?

Maybe your gift is baking. Bake stuff and bless others with it.

Maybe you have a big house. Invite people over and love them to pieces.

Maybe you have a bunch of money. Invest well and give generously.

Maybe you have a great voice. Sing.

Maybe you have cable. Invite me over to watch the game this weekend.

You're blessed. Stop looking at others talents and blessings and gifts and, instead, look at your own. And use them.

"Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms." 1 Peter 4:10

Happy Halloween!

Catch Up

1. The following blogposts are coming soon: "The Great Wolf Lodge Extravaganza", "Halloween 2011", and "Boo at the Zoo". Just hold your little horses, Mom!

2. Less than 10 weeks until Christmas. I shopped all morning and had the best time with Connor Man. The cool thing about shopping with a two-year-old is he's still oblivious enough to not even notice when I buy a huge 3-wheeler for him.

3. Connor has been in speech therapy for two weeks now and I'm blown away by his improvements! He is imitating sounds that I make and has learned about 3 signs. He is consistently saying, "Momma", "Daddy", "ball", "mmmm" (more), "doggie", "whoo-whoo" (train), "hey", "bye", "esss" (yes), "k" (milk or yuck), and "wafa" (waffle). He's also doing some babbling on his own while he plays with his toys. Gooooooo Connor Man!

4. Our HOUSE IS FOR SALE! If you send us someone who will buy our house, we'll give you some commission...like definitely at least a five dollar bill.