And This is Why I Love Where I Live

Sometimes I have those moments. Those moments when I realize just how big God is, how small I am, how insignificant my life is, yet how immensely blessed I am.

Saturday morning I woke up and went to work just like any other day. I wore wedges and eye make up because I was feeling a little frumpy and large with my expanding stomach, and I wanted to feel pretty. I was tired, ready for a day off, and just wanted to get to 5 pm.

Zach ended up working late and we didn't have dinner until 6:30. We sat with a few other staff members, including our director William, and everyone was pretty mellow after a long day. The fire department had put a ban on all campfires due to the Santa Ana winds, so I made sure all the leaders knew that they weren't able to have one that night.

Zach and William decided they would go collect the firewood at the fire rings so that no one would wander down and start a fire. I asked if I could ride along, so we all piled into the 4x4 Gator and headed down. When William learned I had never been to Inspiration Point he said "alright, well lets go for a ride!" I have heard about Inspiration Point, and I knew it was only about a mile behind the office down a simple trail, but I never have taken the time to go there.

We rode down about a mile and a half until we couldn't drive any further and still be able to turn around (we were on the side of a steep dirt hill). Then he said "k, lets hike". Remember where I said I had put on wedges that morning so I could feel pretty..? So I went barefoot :)

We hiked down about another 100 yards until we reached it, Inspiration Point. A rock cliff overlooking acres of dense forest, a creek rumbling below us, and the view of the ocean in the distance. It was beautiful. We sat down on rocks and talked about our hearts for camping, the power of wilderness and taking people out of their every day life, away from cell service. We talked about the future of this camp and the myriad of possibilities. We talked about parenting and raising a Godly son. Being an example and loving the Lord first.

It was wonderful. And it was where I live. I didn't go anywhere else, just took a ride after work. When it got dark, we hiked back up to the Gator and rode back to our house.

As if that wasn't enough of God's glory for one night; a man had set up a deep sky telescope outside our house and we decided to go check it out.

For the following hour, we looked at stars in galaxies outside of galaxies millions of lightyears away. It was absolutely incredible. I can't believe how big our God is yet how small we are and how he loves us. He created such a beautiful world, and so much of it we can't even see with our naked eye. The bible says he knows the number of stars in the sky. While other people were taking turns looking in the telescope, my friend Becca just laid on the asphalt and stared up into the sky. We could see millions of stars. It was so beautiful. We laid there, listened to the sound of night in the woods, and talked about how much God loves us.

It was wonderful... and this is where I live.

24 Week Update

Don't mind my puffy face.. I had just woken up ok :)

Baby's size: 8.5 inches "an ear of corn"

Sleep: Intermittent. Definitely depends on the night! 

 

Maternity Clothes: I think I'm going to delete this question because that's all I can wear now.

Food cravings:  No real cravings, just when I hear something then I have to have it. Like. Now. ex: blue slurpees, banana bread, pretzels with cheese...

 

Symptoms I have:  Tiredness, cramping, really tight belly skin, sore lower back.

Doctor’s Appointment: uneventful, next time I get a TB test and the whooping cough/tetanus shot

Movement: ALL.THE.TIME. I love it. And I love when Zach gets to feel him, and my friends at camp like to feel him. It's my favorite :)

Belly Button:   Very very flat!

Best moment of the week: Probably bursting into hysterical tears at the labor scene in Juno. Zach had no idea what to do with me.

What I’m looking forward to: Moving into our new house!

What I miss: Sleep, wine, not achy back.

I am getting so antsy to meet our little man! We have been so blessed with already receiving thoughtful gifts for him.


Hi  FF friends!

Bennett Gets His Own Room!

This is yet another story of God's faithfulness! As you may know, we live and work at a christian camp in the mountains of San Diego county. The camp provides our housing for free which is a huge blessing.

When we found out I am pregnant, one of my first thoughts after the excitement  calmed down was where is the baby going to live? You see, we currently live in a 400 sq ft renovated trailer. It's just enough room for two adults, and that's it.

The camp owns a few other houses that have more bedrooms, but there are people living in all of them. I've been praying hard all summer for something to work out for us, as it's caused a little bit of anxiety not knowing where this babe will live and play. I also didn't want to uproot another family for my own selfish wants of having more space for baby Bennett.

Zach and I have been praying hard now since May for a home to open or be provided for us & our growing family.

A few weeks ago, my boss became involved with a young woman who had a past in human trafficking. She needed a safe place to go and my boss was helping her find somewhere and loving her through the process. Throughout finding her a new home, she and her husband have felt an incredibly strong calling into the human trafficking ministry. They have decided to move on from working in camping and start working with women who have been apart of that horrible world.

They will be moving at some point this fall. They have a two bedroom house... And the camp has decided that we get to move into their house!!

You guys, seriously. So many blessings. My mind has been racing with things we haven't had this year! A fireplace, a washer/dryer in our house, a dishwasher, a place for a Christmas tree, a room for our son!!

I am so amazed by God's faithfulness! We had absolutely no idea this would happen, my boss was planning on staying here a long long time but through her devotion to following the Lord's call on their life, our baby will get all the room in the world to run and play :)

Family photo :) also... My husband got a raise this week. Seriously, we're having a good week!