September - Vacation and The Long-Awaited Routine

Via Vacation was a bit different this year. Instead of our Lake Anna house we have gone to for about a decade we made our way to the beach. Lake Anna had an outbreak of bacteria in the water, sending many people to the hospital, resulting in the lake being shut down. Even though it opened up shortly before vacation we played it safe and found another place to go. It was great to be together, of course, and the beach is also so relaxing to walk, sit, play or just watch as the waves roll in.

 The rest of the month was spent getting into a welcomed rhythm of routine and life.

The student worship team began this semester

Jude worked hard and got all the necessary gear to begin ice skating lessons and open stick and puck.

Jude and Josh also began a small group called First Tribe with a group of preteens/young teens and dads as they walk through this next stage of life together. I love the bond they are creating during their monthly meetings. 

April

As we look back in the rearview mirror of april we see an end to Cai's track season, Jude's last soccer game, beautiful sunsets, and Rainy's Earth Day Festival gig, as we welcome lazy Sabbath days coming back into view!

 

March Recap

 March was probably the craziest month we've had in a WHILE! Josh and I played lots of music, we traveled out of the country, we celebrated our 22 year anniversary...all within one month! Not to mention all of the normal life things that occupy our time. We really try to make it a practice to live our lives with a lot of margin and white space, but sometimes things just happen to stack up and make for a super full month. So, although this is not a pace we want to try to figure out how to sustain, we certainly were filled up with the things the Lord allowed us to be a part of this month.

Here are a few pictures we want to remember this month before I go into all the details!

Easter with fam at Seven Marks Church was beautiful

We had a visit from Uncle Ray and he tagged along with us to soccer practices and a chapel service

Zeke has picked up guitar and been consistently practicing and asking for new things from Josh every day.

Cai made the track team at his school.

He runs the 1600 (1 mile) and has set a PR every track meet so far!

Jude decided to set up a lemonade stand at the park so he could make some money for some inline skates to play hockey. He may have gotten the Rolesville cops called on him (insert eye roll) and kicked out of the park, but not before a lady gave him her business card to an event she is part of at a local school. She told Jude they love kids and their ideas and would love for him to come set up a stand at the event!

I have been working on my garden area and Alethia had the best idea to set up some solar lights and I LOVE it! And guess what? I even have kale and romaine lettuce growing (from LAST YEAR!) that we made a salad with for dinner this week! There may be hope for the garden this year afterall

Our worship team wrote an original song for Easter this year.

You may remember me writing about the recording of it last month.

It released just in time for our church body to learn it so we could belt it out on Easter morning together. You can go stream it on all major music platforms by searching Seven Marks Worship.

Guatemala 2024

With Josh being over missions at our church he takes many trips to visit and serve with our global partners all over the world. This most recent trip to Guatemala was supposed to happen in the fall, but with the political unrest they had to reschedule. Jude was able to go with him. It was his first time out of the country and even on an airplane (outside of my belly or his infant carseat at least). Josh said he did AMAZING! Josh's brother Jared, and his daughter, Hannah (Jude's age), got to go with the team too so that was really special. 

They held some women's conferences, had some fun things for the kids in the villages, traveled hours into the mountains to remote areas that the Bader's ministry works with. The church had baptisms in the river that Josh and the team got to witness, they went on house visits and did some building.

The last day was a fun day. They got to hike an active volcano!

Jude had ALL the words when he got home and said it was nice to be home, but he was sad to not be in Guatemala anymore. Josh kept up with the trip so you can jump over to his Instagram for more pictures and first hand updates.

October

 October, the middle of my FAVORITE season. 

The past four-five years have not allowed reflection or presence. It has been several years of what has felt more like survival, sifting and just keeping my head above the crashing waves than actually living in the moment and basking in the beauty that I love so much about this season. But this year I got to have it and it has been such a sweet season.

It started off with a beautiful wedding. We did no music. No officiating. No premarital counseling. We just got to show up and be supportive friends and it was awesome!

Alethia got to start science with my dad. A highlight for our family for sure.

Josh arranged for me to get away for a couple days at a friend's little beach place. Just me and my thoughts and it was glorious!

Zeke FINALLY got his license. The DMV issues since Covid have been down right maddening, but we are making our way through it. Alethia took her Driver's Ed so we are in the queue for the next step for her now.

Cai finished his soccer season

Rainy had more circus-ing...

And the rest of the month was for being creative and being together. (Josh did squeeze in a trip to Argentina somewhere in the month too!)

Kid's Camp

We had our last goodbye with elementary kid's camp. Jude as a camper and Rainy as one of the leaders. I know it was a special time for them to get to finally go to a camp together. I can't believe next year Jude will be at Caswell with the Students!